: PTA Takes Action: Federal Policy - May 2010 |
Family Engagement a Focus of Senate Hearing on ESEA Reauthorization Family engagement was a major focus of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee at the April 22 roundtable hearing on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), the chairman of the committee, hopes to bring the bill, also known as the No Child Left Behind Act, to the Senate floor this summer for full consideration. Until the April 22 hearing, the Senate ESEA hearings have focused on the Administration's core education reform areas such as school turnarounds and teachers and leaders. Harkin opened the Meeting the Needs of the Whole Student hearing by saying, "Research proves that students learn best when their academic, emotional, physical and social needs are all met... I believe it is essential that we support every aspect of the development of our students to maximize their chances at success." Ten panelists, including Geoffrey Canada, CEO of the Harlem Children's Zone, spoke briefly about their programs and research before getting into a discussion with Senators on the issue. The panel also included Karen Pittman, President and CEO of the Forum for Youth Investment, and Anne Henderson, Senior Consultant on Community Organizing and Engagement at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform. Henderson, a leading researcher in the field of family engagement, focused on the evidence and need for engaging parents to raise student achievement and improve struggling schools. Henderson's testimony can be downloaded on the Senate HELP Committee website. Henderson stated, "I am here to quell forever the misconception that family engagement is something soft or squishy with no hard data to back it up. I have been tracking the research for over 30 years and I can assure everybody in the room that engaging families raises student achievement, lowers the dropout rate, and it will help close our achievement gap." Henderson also described the urgent need to move beyond "random acts" of family engagement and compliance monitoring to provide incentives for schools and districts to implement meaningful research-based approaches that improve academic achievement—such as parent leadership academies and professional development for educators on how to partner with parents. Henderson also emphasized the critical role of the Parental Information and Resource Centers (PIRCs) in building the capacity of school, districts, and states to engage parents and urged Congress to strengthen and safeguard the program through reauthorization. "If families are not at the table," she warned, "the whole child will be left behind." Henderson also pointed out that National PTA has developed research-based standards for parent engagement, which have been codified into law in several states to provide a clear picture of what effective family engagement looks like and build parent engagement into school improvement strategies. Pittman also stressed the importance of supporting parents as partners, rather than recipients of services. "Their commitment and expertise has earned them a seat at the planning table," she stated. During the question and answer period following the panel's statements, the discussion around parent engagement continued. Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT), emphasized that is critical to involve parents beginning at birth in order to support the development of the whole child. Resources:
Department of Education Hosts Webinars on Family Engagement in Education On April 29, the U.S. Department of Education, in collaboration with National PTA, Harvard Family Research Project, SEDL, and United Way Worldwide, hosted the first of a series of family engagement webinars. The series, Achieving Excellence and Innovation in Family, School and Community Engagement, provides an opportunity for local, state and national organizations—including PTAs—to learn about best practices in family engagement that result in improving student achievement. The webinars merge research, policy, and practice to showcase real life examples of innovative strategies that meaningfully engage parents and the community. The first webinar, Transforming Schools Through Family, School, and Community Engagement, provided participants with real-life examples of innovative family and community engagement efforts as well as guidance on how to successfully integrate family engagement into student learning from cradle to career. Presenters included: Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education Jim Shelton, U.S. Department of Education official Anna Hinton, Heather Weiss from Harvard Family Research Project, Nina Sazer O'Donnell from United Way Worldwide, and Ron Mirr from the Iowa Parental Information and Resource Center (PIRC). The webinar began with a discussion of the components of effective family engagement and the ways in which these strategies complement school improvement and education reform. Presenters also provided examples of what effective family engagement looks like on the ground, such as the New Visions program for New York City high schools—which uses color-coded data trackers to share student data with parents and develop a collaborative plan to support student's learning. Future webinars will discuss topics such as the role of family, school, and community engagement in education reform, making student and school data accessible and meaningful to families, and using professional development to improve family and community engagement. Don't miss this important opportunity to learn firsthand about ways to engage family and community in supporting student learning. Space is limited for each session so please register early! Register online for the webinars and view archived presentations. National PTA Hosts Common Core State Standards (CCSSI) Training Sessions New Jersey is hitting the ground running as one of the first wave of pilot states for National PTA's Common Core State Standards campaign. The New Jersey PTA (NJPTA) is ambitious in developing their state advocacy capacity, advocating for the adoption of this new set of consistent, clear standards that will raise the bar for the education system, and implementing the standards in a meaningful way so teachers and parents can expect their children to reach new heights. As a first step toward developing their advocacy capacity, New Jersey PTA recently brought together 11 current and emerging leaders from the Common Core State Standards Campaign Committee and the NJ PTA Board of Directors for training. The session focused on developing advocacy skills, including how to recruit members to participate in advocacy, and using the media to advance a campaign. The highlight of the training session was the exciting discussions the attendees had about how they can use the campaign around core standards to build NJPTA's long-term advocacy. U.S. House of Representatives Passes Bill to Improve Physical Education Informing Parents Key to Legislation On April 21, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1585, the Fitness Integrated with Teaching Kids Act (FIT Kids Act). The bill focuses on ensuring that school districts and other local education agencies (LEA) inform parents and other community members about healthy eating habits, physical education, and physical activity. The FIT Kids Act would also require districts to inform parents and families that they can be involved in formulating school policy in these areas. Specifically, the FIT Kids Act requires LEAs to disseminate information to parents and families on the following:
The FIT Kids Act would also create national studies on innovative and effective ways to increase student physical activity, efforts to encourage the participation of students with disabilities in physical education programs, the effect of physical activity on student achievement, and overall rates of student participation in exercise. The Secretary of Education would also be required to provide state and local education agencies with examples of model practices for physical education and activity polices. Finally, under the FIT Kids Act, the Department of Education and the Department of Agriculture would work together to encourage school participation in the HealthierUS School Challenge, a voluntary certification program that offers monetary awards to schools showing excellence in nutrition and physical activity policies. National PTA supports the FIT Kids Act along with other efforts to improve child health and wellness outcomes. It is unclear whether the Senate will now take up this legislation. For more information on the HealthierUS School Challenge, please visit the USDA website . House Committee Holds Hearing on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention On April 21, the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on reforming juvenile justice and delinquency prevention. The hearing was the first full committee hearing of the 111th Congress on the reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). In his opening statement, Chairman George Miller (D-CA) said, "The reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act is part of our committee's larger effort to support children, families and communities…we need rational policies that prevent children from committing crimes in the first place. And we need to support effective alternatives to detention when possible. We know from the research that policies such as these have a greater impact on public safety than locking children up and throwing away the key." The hearings featured testimony from experts including Michael Belton, Deputy Director of Juvenile Corrections, Ramsey County, Minnesota; Scott Burns, Executive Director National District Attorneys Association, Alexandria, Virginia; A. Hasan Davis, Deputy Commissioner, Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice; Tracy McClard, the mother of a child who committed suicide in an adult detention facility; Judge Steven Teske, Juvenile Court, Clayton County, Georgia; and John Solberg, Executive Director, Rawhide Boys Ranch, New London, Wisconsin. Shortly after the hearing, the U.S. Department of Justice released a statement in support of the reauthorization of the JJDPA and commended Congress for its attention to this important issue. Rep. George Miller (D-CA) is expected to introduce the House's version of the legislation in the coming weeks. The Senate Judiciary Committee passed its version of the bill, S. 678, last year. |
